Internal-combustion engine



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INTERNAL coMBUsTIoN ENGINE Filed June 17. 1922 www lionel/- WoalaonINVENTOR Patented Sept. l0, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LIONEL M. WOOLSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CARCOMPANY, OIF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed .Tune 17, 1,922. Serial No. 568,897.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and to the valvesof such engincs, and more particularly to the cooling ofthe exhaustvalves of high speed, heavy duty engines such as are used in thepropulsion of aircraft. It has for its principal object to provide animproved method for cooling such valves, and improved apparatus of thecharacter designated which shall maintain the valves ot' such enginesrelatively cool under all conditions of engine operation.

The high temperatures to which the exhaust valves of internal combustionengines are subjected is well known, particularly in engines of theaeromotive type in which valves have been known to operate attemperatures `ipproaching white heat. Such temperatures prohibit the useof high compression in the engine cylinders, or the use of lean fuelmixlures therein, and seriously curtail the life it' the valves, as iswell understood in the ,irt to which my invention relates.

T he method herein disclosed effects a ooling ot the valves bydissipating in a stream of cooling water the heat absorbed )y arelatively small' part of the coolingT water which is brought into heatexchangng relation with the highly heated portions )f the valves.

The invention 4may be practiced by means if apparatus shown in theaccompanying ilrawing and described hereinafter, the spe- :ilicconstructional'characteristics of which nay be varied widely and areherein set forth merely by way of illustration. Refer- 'ing to thedrawing, Fig. 1 is a view, partialy in section and partially inelevation, of a iortion of an engine cylinder provided with t valveconstructed in accordance with my nvention, and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic)lan View, illustrating the application of my nvention to an internalcombustion engine, portion of the valve actuating mechanism eing removedfor the sake of clarity. u

The specific details of construction of a iower plant to which theinvention may be ypplied, have not been illustrated, since they .re wellknown in the art and form, per se, lo part of the present invention, butin a {eneral way there is illustrated a power developing cylinder 10 ofsuch a power plant, having a head 11 in which is located a poppet valve12.

The valve 12 is formed with a hollow head portion 13 and a hollow stemportion 14 integral therewith. The head portion 13 is provided with anend wall 15 which may be integral with the head portion, or firmlysecured thereto in any well known manner, as by welding. The exterior ofthe head member is provided with a beveled seating surface 16, adaptedto cooperate with a suitable valve seat 17, formed on the cylinder head11.

The valve stem 14 is mounted to reciprocate in suitable guides 18, andis provided with suitable springs 19 by means of which the valve isurged against its seat 17. The valve is adapted to be actuated againstthe action of the springs 19 by suitable mechanism operated insynchronism with the engine cycle. As shown, this mechanism comprises arocker lever 21, suitably pivoted at 22 and operated by a push rod 23,which is driven in timed relation to the engine cycle. It is to beunderstood, however, that any well knodwn valve actuating mechanism maybe use The upper portion of the valve stem 14 is vprovided with asuitable connection affording communication with the interior of thehollow valve head 13. As shown, this connection is a T fitting 24,suitably secured to the valve 14, as by a clamping cap 26, so that itsstem portion 27 is in axial alinement with the valve stem 14. The armswhich compose the head of the T fitting are preferably formed as nipples28, adapted for connection to flexible conduits 29 and 31, convenientlycomposed of rubber tubing.

The conduits 29 and 31 are connected by suitable nipples to manifolds 32and 33 respectively, which are conveniently arranged along the heads ofa bank ofthe cylinders 11, as best shown in Fig. 2. The manifold 32,`which is adapted to supply cooling water tothe valves, is connectedby asupply pipe 34 to the cold water side of the engine cooling system,preferably on the pressure side of a circulatingpump 36, commonlyused'in the art to ensure a circulation of cooling water in the system.The manifold 33, which is adapted to remove the overiiow of coolingwater from the valves, is connected by a pipe 37 to the hot water sideof the engine cooling system, preferably near the inlet to the usualcooling device or radiator 39.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that a portion of thewater in the engine cooling system is by-passed through the pipe 34, themanifold 32, and the conduit 29, to the connection 24, flowing throughand across a portion of the hollow valve stem 14, and overflowingthrough Y the conduit 31, the manifold 33, and the pipe 37 to return tothe cooling system.

A small portion of tley cooling water passing through the connection 24passes through the hollow stem 14 and enters the hollow head 13, whichis highly heated by the combustion of gases in the engine cylinder 10.This portion of the water is vaporizled by the heated valve head 13, thevapor rising through the hollow stem and carrying Vwith mitted to flowaway through the valve stem;

The vapor generated in the heated head is discharged through the valvestem, where it is condensed and the absorbed heat dissipated in thestream of cooling water pass.

ing through the valve stem.

Although the invention has been described in but one form, it will beobvious to those skilledl in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various other changes and modifications, withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, and it is to be understood,therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as areimposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth inl theappended claims.

I claim- 1. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder providedwith a valve seat, a hollow poppet valve cooperating with the seat andhaving a hollow stem, means for causing a stream of water to traverse acool portion of the stem to make available a supply of water to theinterior of the valve proper, and means to remove the overflow of waterfrom the stem.

2. In combination with an internal comand across 'the stem of saidvalve, and

means including a flexible conduit to return water overfiowing from thestem to the cooling system.

4. In combination, a valve including a hollow head and a stem having apassage communicating with the inside of said head and a conduitconnected to said valve stem,

said conduit having a continuous duct intersecting said passage forsupplying a stream of cooling fluid to saidvalve.

5. In combination with an internal com- -bustion engine including aplurality of cylinders and valves to be cooled, a source of coolingfluid, a supply conduit and a -return conduit connecting said sourc'e.to said cylinders, whereby a circulation of cooling fluid is produced,and a path in shunt to said supply and return conduits, said pathincluding a supply manifold having parallel branches associated -withindividual valves and a return manifold having similar branchesassociated with individual valves,

whereby a' quantity of said cooling'fiuid is by-passed through saidbranches for cooling said valves.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

LIONEL' M. WOOLSON.

